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Monday, September 30, 2019

Is Dwayne Johnson returning to his wrestling roots?

Is Dwayne Johnson returning to his wrestling roots?

Kind of.

The superstar and former wrestling icon Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will return to WWE’s SmackDown this week for the first time since 2013. He’s set to make a special appearance during the highly anticipated premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on October 4.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shocks social media fans with Hawaii wedding photo

FOX recently acquired the WWE franchise and moved it from Tuesday to Friday night, with the first installment airing this week from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The premiere will be preceded by a 30-minute blue carpet special that will highlight “arrivals and backstage access to celebrities and athletes, as well as past and present WWE Superstars to kick off the new era of WWE on Fox.”

Sparks fly (literally!) at premiere of ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ and Dwayne Johnson proves he’s a real-life hero

Dwayne Johnson confirmed the news on social media.

The newlywed who is currently starring on the final season of HBO’s Ballers has had quite a year.

In August, he shocked fans by marrying his longtime girlfriend, Lauren Hashian, in an intimate Hawaiian ceremony. The couple shares two children, Jasmine, three, and Tiana, 15 months and have reportedly been an item since 2007.

The post Is Dwayne Johnson returning to his wrestling roots? appeared first on theGrio.



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‘Clueless’ Actress Catches Case on Charges She Battered Hubby

Actress—and one of Donald Trump’s faves—Stacey Dash of Clueless fame was arrested after police say she pushed and slapped her husband in a domestic violence dispute.

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REPORTS: R. Kelly wants OUT of jail because its unfairly strict

R. Kelly is looking to get out of jail and his reasons are pretty ridiculous, even for him.

According to reports, lawyers for the singer who was locked up without bond on racketeering charges insist R. Kelly is not a danger to the community. They filed an 11-page motion in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Monday in an attempt to have him released on bond while he awaits trials, due to the unfairly strict restrictions of jail.

Snoop Dogg jokes about Tekashi 69, and drags R. Kelly into it

One of the “strict” restrictions reportedly include his inability to see both of his girlfriends, Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary at the same time.

“Presently, he is only allowed one unrelated person to visit,” one of his attorneys said. “In other words, although he lives and has lived with two lady friends, only one of them is allowed to be on his visiting list, and after 90 days he is required to switch. No other friends or professional colleagues are allowed to visit. That is not right.”

The motion also insists that R. Kelly is not a flight risk.

“Mr. Kelly possesses almost no financial resources, and no evidence was presented to the Court to the contrary. Indeed, there is nothing in the record to support such an inference. Likewise, Mr. Kelly is not a frequent international traveler. His passport is presently in the custody of authorities in Cook County, Illinois in connection with Illinois State court proceedings. That passport was issued approximately eight years ago and does not contain a single stamp for travel.”

R. Kelly’s daughter reveals intimate details about their complicated relationship: ‘People don’t want to work with me just because of who he is’

The 52-year-old Grammy winner landed behind bars after a 13-count federal indictment   accused him of conspiring to interfere with his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off victims and witnesses in the case.

He’s also charged with four other indictments in Cook County including allegations of sexual assault of one woman and sexual abuse of three minors.

R. Kelly maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty on all of the charges against him.

 

The post REPORTS: R. Kelly wants OUT of jail because its unfairly strict appeared first on theGrio.



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Gabrielle Union is bringing ‘Black Girl Magic’ to NBC

Gabrielle Union is booked and busy and now she’s bringing Black Girl Magic to NBC.

The superstar who’s currently holding court as a judge on America’s Got Talent will executive produce the series written by Emebeit Beyene, Crystal Boyd and Chandra Russell.

Why Gabrielle Union says Dwyane Wade won’t let ‘old white man’ Santa to take credit for Christmas presents

The trio co-create the web series Downtown Girls together in 2013 and Russell writes fro Comedy Central’s hit South Side.

According to reports, the 30-minute series will be a “mystical comedy” about three estranged sisters who learn a mysterious secret about their family history that changes their lives and brings them back to the magical world of New Orleans.

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union list Biscayne Bay home for $32.5 million

Emebeit Beyene confirmed the good news on social media.

“This is what dedication looks like. I worked hard for this, man,” Beyene posted. “Cried all year off taking so many L’s. Grateful to my team for believing in me, @gabunion for advocating day in and day out, and most importantly, to those two ride or dies pictured next to me. Let’s do this.

The post Gabrielle Union is bringing ‘Black Girl Magic’ to NBC appeared first on theGrio.



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House Dems to Trump Lawyer Giuliani: Give It Up, Rudy!

Rudy Giuliani never seems to be one who’s at a loss for words, and now House Democrats are demanding he tell all by sharing key documents with lawmakers as part of its impeachment probe.

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Jessye Norman, Heralded Soprano of the Opera World, Dies at 74

Jessye Norman, the internationally celebrated soprano, died Monday, surrounded by loved ones, of complications suffered as the result of a 2015 spinal cord injury, her family announced. She was 74.

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Oops! He Did It Again? Trump Reportedly Pressured a 2nd Country—Australia—to Help Him Out of a Jam

Donald Trump, at the urging of his top law enforcement official, Attorney General William Barr, pressured Australia’s prime minister to help him debunk the report on 2016 election shenanigans done by special counsel Robert Mueller.

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I Am Probably the Worst Person to Write a Review of the New Movie, Always a Bridesmaid, but I Did It Anyway

I’m not the target market.

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Nigerian police rescue 19 pregnant girls from baby factory in Lagos

Nigerian police have rescued 19 pregnant women from a “baby factory” in Lagos, and two of the three women suspected of exploiting the victims have have been arrested.

Police say the principal suspect behind this baby factory operation escaped and the hunt is now on for Madam Oluchi, a mother of five, from Mbano, Imo State, who lured the girls to Lagos from various parts of the South-East for the sole purpose of getting them pregnant, pulse.ng reports. The two women who have been arrested worked at the factory as untrained nurses.

READ MORE: College professor goes viral for carrying student’s baby on her back during 3-hour lecture

According to the BBC, the babies were sold based on their sex; male babies would fetch $1,400 and the females were sold for $830. Police say the children were to be trafficked, but to who or where the potential buyers are located remains a mystery.

According to the statement from police:

“On September 19,2019, at 4pm, while acting on the strength of information from a reliable source, detectives from the Isheri Osun Police Station, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Chike Ibe, stormed a building at 14 Adisa Street, Ayanwale area, Ikotun, Lagos, suspected to be used for child trafficking.

READ MORE: Olympian Allyson Felix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for world championship medals

“Nineteen pregnant girls, aged 15 and 28, were rescued. Four kids were also rescued. They were recovered from four different locations.

The young girls and women who were rescued ranged in age between 15 and 28, and many are speaking out, telling local reporters that they were lured to Nigeria’s largest city with the promise of employment. Instead, they were held captive at the baby-making farm and raped.

“[A] woman came to pick me at the [bus] park and brought me here,” one of those rescued told the Vanguard newspaper.

“The next day, I was summoned by our madam, who told me that I would not leave the premises until next year,” she is quoted as saying.

“So far, I have slept with seven different men before I discovered I was pregnant. I was told that after delivery, I would be paid handsomely.”

Most of the women were reportedly abducted “for the purpose of getting them pregnant and selling the babies”, a police statement said. The rescued women and children have been rehoused and are being rehabilitated, the report states.

The post Nigerian police rescue 19 pregnant girls from baby factory in Lagos appeared first on theGrio.



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NAACP, Killer Mike Implore Black People to Stand with Byron Allen in His $20 Billion Lawsuit Against Comcast

Astute businessman and comedian Byron Allen has gained support in his ongoing court battle against Comcast from rapper and activist Michael “Killer Mike” Render and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Both the outspoken hip-hop activist and civil rights group are urging black people to stand with Allen in his $20 billion racial discrimination lawsuit against Comcast, which will be heard in the Supreme Court Nov. 13. Allen also has a similar $10 billion suit against Charter Communications.

Byron filed the multibillion suits back in 2015 and 2016, arguing that Comcast and Charter violated the Civil Rights Act after he unsuccessfully tried for years to get the cable systems to carry his networks, Entertainment Studios, which were available through rival distributors, including Verizon, Dish, and AT&T’s DirecTV. Both Comcast and Charter, however, assert that race was not a factor in their refusal to carry stations under Allen’s production company.

In response to the legal battle, the NAACP released the following statement backing Allen.

In several weeks, the Supreme Court will hear one of the most important civil rights cases to come before it this term. Comcast – the second largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world – is poised to take an unprecedented step. Because of a dispute with a Black businessman, the company has urged the Supreme Court to roll back the crucial protections of one of the nation’s oldest civil rights laws, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

 

For more than a century, Section 1981 has been used as an important tool to combat race discrimination, particularly for employment discrimination claimants. Throughout the NAACP’s history, standard-bearers of justice like Thurgood Marshall have harnessed the power of Section 1981 to fight various forms of discrimination. Yet now, in a situation that has become all too familiar during this era, an upcoming Supreme Court decision has the potential to reject these lessons of history by rolling back the clock on basic civil rights.

 

Although the NAACP takes no position on the underlying dispute, we have decided to take the lead on this issue. We urge Comcast to cease its attack on Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866; a bedrock civil rights statute that has been in place for more than 150 years.

Killer Mike is also calling for people of color to rally behind the business leader.

“I’ve watched Byron Allen and how he works since I was a kid. I love his TV shows and how he eventually started programming shows in those late-night slots. He would purchase the time slots that used to be for infomercials, turn around and sell those ads for his shows. Genius!” he said in an exclusive interview with The Grio, a news site owned by Entertainment Studios.

“If Allen is playing fair, and he has the capacity to produce quality programming, why would they not allow him space at Comcast? You can’t say people are not interested—everyone needs the weather,” Killer Mike added in reference to Allen’s acquisition of The Weather Channel.

Killer Mike also expressed his concern on Twitter.



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California to let college athletes make money, defying NCAA

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Defying the NCAA, California’s governor signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday that will let college athletes hire agents and make money from endorsements — a move that could upend amateur sports in the U.S. and trigger a legal challenge.

Under the law, which takes effect in 2023, students at public and private universities in the state will be allowed to sign deals with sneaker companies, soft drink makers or other advertisers and profit from their images, names or likenesses, just like the pros.

READ MORE: Olympian Allyson Felix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for world championship medals

“It’s going to change college sports for the better by having now the interest, finally, of the athletes on par with the interests of the institutions,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweeted video. “Now we’re rebalancing that power arrangement.”

He predicted other states will introduce similar legislation. Two lawmakers in South Carolina have already announced plans to do so.

The new law applies to all sports, though the big money to be made is in football and basketball. It bars schools from kicking athletes off the team if they get paid. It does not apply to community colleges and prohibits athletes from accepting endorsement deals that conflict with their schools’ existing contracts.

READ MORE: Twitter temporarily suspends Baltimore politician for ‘excessive tweeting’

The NCAA, which had asked Newsom to veto the bill, responded by saying it will consider its “next steps” while also moving forward with “efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.”

The NCAA, which has 1,100 member schools and claims nearly a half-million athletes, said that “changes are needed to continue to support student-athletes,” but that such changes must be done at a national level through the NCAA, not through a patchwork of state laws.
Before the governor signed the bill, the NCAA cautioned that the law would give California universities an unfair recruiting advantage, which could prompt the athletic association to bar them from competition.

Powerhouse programs like the University of Southern California, the University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, could find themselves banned.

But while the NCAA is the top governing body for college sports, membership is voluntary. If the California schools are forced out, they could form a new league.

Professional athletes have endorsed the law, including NBA superstar LeBron James, whose 14-year-old son is a closely watched basketball prospect in Los Angeles and will be 18 when the measure takes effect.

On Instagram, James exulted over the signing of the law, saying it will “change the lives for countless athletes who deserve it!”

He added: “NCAA, you got the next move. We can solve this for everyone!
Democratic state Sen. Nancy Skinner, the bill’s author, said the measure lets athletes share in the wealth they create.

“For decades, college sports has generated billions for all involved except the very people most responsible for creating the wealth. That’s wrong,” she said.

Newsom likewise portrayed the law as righting a wrong.

“Other college students with a talent, whether it be literature, music, or technological innovation, can monetize their skill and hard work,” he said. “Student athletes, however, are prohibited from being compensated while their respective colleges and universities make millions, often at great risk to athletes’ health, academics, and professional careers.”
The NCAA has steadfastly refused to pay players in most cases. But a committee led by Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman is studying other ways players could make money. Its report is expected in October.

The NCAA does let some athletes accept money in some instances. Tennis players can accept up to $10,000 in prize money per year, and Olympians can accept winnings from their competitions. Plus, schools in the big “Power 5” conferences can pay players yearly cost-of-living stipends of between $2,000 and $4,000.
The NCAA reported $1.1 billion in revenue in 2017.

The post California to let college athletes make money, defying NCAA appeared first on theGrio.



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The Water Dancer: Ta-Nehisi Coates Joined Oprah in Conversation at the Apollo—and We Were There

It was an amazingly candid conversation, punctuated with lots of laughter, black-ass intonations, and responses from the crowd.

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NAACP, Killer Mike Implore Black People to Stand with Byron Allen in His $20 Billion Lawsuit Against Comcast

Astute businessman and comedian Byron Allen has gained support in his ongoing court battle against Comcast from rapper and activist Michael “Killer Mike” Render and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Both the outspoken hip-hop activist and civil rights group are urging black people to stand with Allen in his $20 billion racial discrimination lawsuit against Comcast, which will be heard in the Supreme Court Nov. 13. Allen also has a similar $10 billion suit against Charter Communications.

Byron filed the multibillion suits back in 2015 and 2016, arguing that Comcast and Charter violated the Civil Rights Act after he unsuccessfully tried for years to get the cable systems to carry his networks, Entertainment Studios, which were available through rival distributors, including Verizon, Dish, and AT&T’s DirecTV. Both Comcast and Charter, however, assert that race was not a factor in their refusal to carry stations under Allen’s production company.

In response to the legal battle, the NAACP released the following statement backing Allen.

In several weeks, the Supreme Court will hear one of the most important civil rights cases to come before it this term. Comcast – the second largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world – is poised to take an unprecedented step. Because of a dispute with a Black businessman, the company has urged the Supreme Court to roll back the crucial protections of one of the nation’s oldest civil rights laws, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

 

For more than a century, Section 1981 has been used as an important tool to combat race discrimination, particularly for employment discrimination claimants. Throughout the NAACP’s history, standard-bearers of justice like Thurgood Marshall have harnessed the power of Section 1981 to fight various forms of discrimination. Yet now, in a situation that has become all too familiar during this era, an upcoming Supreme Court decision has the potential to reject these lessons of history by rolling back the clock on basic civil rights.

 

Although the NAACP takes no position on the underlying dispute, we have decided to take the lead on this issue. We urge Comcast to cease its attack on Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866; a bedrock civil rights statute that has been in place for more than 150 years.

Killer Mike is also calling for people of color to rally behind the business leader.

“I’ve watched Byron Allen and how he works since I was a kid. I love his TV shows and how he eventually started programming shows in those late-night slots. He would purchase the time slots that used to be for infomercials, turn around and sell those ads for his shows. Genius!” he said in an exclusive interview with The Grio, a news site owned by Entertainment Studios.

“If Allen is playing fair, and he has the capacity to produce quality programming, why would they not allow him space at Comcast? You can’t say people are not interested—everyone needs the weather,” Killer Mike added in reference to Allen’s acquisition of The Weather Channel.

Killer Mike also expressed his concern on Twitter.



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College professor goes viral for carrying student’s baby on her back during 3-hour lecture

Ramata Sissoko Cissé, an assistant professor of biology at Georgia Gwinnett College, is Internet famous after a photo went viral showing her teaching an anatomy course with one of her student’s children strapped to her back.

Speaking to both CNN and Yahoo, Cissé, also a mother of three, explained that one of her students called her before class with news that her babysitter was sick and she wanted the green light to bring her baby to class.

READ MORE: Olympian Allyson Felix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for world championship medals

“She asked if she could bring the baby with her to class because she had missed a class already and did not want to be behind. …I know the student is very smart and ambitious. She really wanted to learn,” Cissé said to Yahoo.

But in class, the baby boy kept distracting the mother, making it hard for her to take notes on the lesson.

“I said, ‘Hand me the baby,'” the professor said. “I knew I could make it easy for her not only to concentrate but also to take notes with ease,” she added.

“In my native Mali, we used sheets and other pieces of fabric to securely carry babies on our backs. My natural instinct was to find a way to secure the baby and I was standing next to a rack with a clean lab coat.”

With the baby safely secured on her back, Cissé continued to teach as he slept through the three-hour class.

“Towards the end, he woke up and I took him off my back, sat in the first row and fed him with a bottle. He did not cry once,” Cissé said. Her daughter later tweeted the now viral picture of her mother teaching with the baby on her back.

“My decision to help out this student was driven by the school culture with a student’s success being foremost. We do all we can for the student to be successful,” the professor said. “I did not want to see her struggling, because as a mother, I know how hard it could be.”

A spokeswoman for Georgia Gwinnett College told CNN that the child’s mother asked to not be identified.

“Love and compassion are part of the philosophy of my classroom,” Cissé said.

READ MORE: Twitter temporarily suspends Baltimore politician for ‘excessive tweeting’

 

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Twitter temporarily suspends Baltimore politician for ‘excessive tweeting’

A Maryland state lawmaker was suspended from her Twitter account for what the application called “excessive” tweeting about use of public transit and climate change, but gave the account back just a day later.

Baltimore Del. Robbyn Lewis said Twitter suspended her account for violating its spam policy with the use of “excessive” hashtags, citing, “prohibiting the misuse of Twitter product features.” A day later after her appeal, Lewis’ account was up and running again, CBS Baltimore reports.

Lewis says she was using the hashtags to get her constituents on board with using public transit on Car Free Day.

But in doing so Lewis, apparently added a barrage of hashtags which Twitter said was used “with an intent to subvert or manipulate a conversation or to drive traffic or attention to accounts, websites, products, services or initiatives,” and “tweeting with excessive, unrelated hashtags in a single tweet or across multiple tweets.”

But Dave Heilker, a candidate for Baltimore City Council wasn’t buying Twitter’s defense of the suspension and instead insinuated that Lewis was racially targeted by the social media platform.

Also, State Delegate Eric Luedtke demanded Twitter offer a better explanation, saying it is commonplace for politicians to use their social media platform to reach their base.

The post Twitter temporarily suspends Baltimore politician for ‘excessive tweeting’ appeared first on theGrio.



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Olympian Allyson Felix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for world championship medals

U.S. Olympic team sprinter Allyson Felix won a 12th world track and field title breaking a tie the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, cementing a monumental comeback and her first gold medal after becoming a mom.

She joined in the first mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar along with Americans Michael Cherry, Wil London III and Courtney Okolo for a finish of just over 3.9 seconds. Felix ran a 50.4-second split, or time she completed her leg of the relay.

READ MORE: Olympian Allyson Felix opens up about giving birth eight weeks premature last month

The nine-time Olympic gold medalist surprised her fans late last year when she gave birth to her baby girl Camryn last November, but she suffered medical complications that sent her into labor eight weeks early.

“So special, to have my daughter here watching means the world to me,” Felix told NBC Sports. “It’s been a crazy year for me.”

Felix became the first athlete since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games.  But she feared that having a child would somehow sideline her career and she struggled with trying to “live up to my pristine nice girl image”.

“Having a child felt like I’d be risking my career and disappointing everyone who expected me to always put running first,” she said previously.

She returned to running over the summer with an outspoken message about women’s rights in sports, particularly after she left Nike as a spokesperson when the athletic gear company gave her a 70 percent cut in pay after her pregnancy.

However, she fought against companies punishing women athletes for lesser performances after being pregnant.

READ MORE: Allyson Felix talks ‘Active’ schools campaign, keeping sports clean

“If we have children, we risk pay cuts from our sponsors during pregnancy and afterward. It’s one example of a sports industry where the rules are still mostly made for and by men,” she wrote in a New York Times op-ed earlier this year. She has since signed a contract with women’s sports gear maker Athleta.

The post Olympian Allyson Felix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for world championship medals appeared first on theGrio.



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Samuel L. Jackson Signs On as First Celebrity Voice Of Amazon’s Alexa

Can’t get enough of Samuel L. Jackson? Well, now you will be able to hear his voice in your home or car on-demand via the Amazon Alexa.

Jackson, who is known for his signature profanity-laced phrases, is the first celebrity voice slated to be used in Alexa-themed devices. Amazon’s celebrity voice feature will cost an additional 99 cents and will be featured on Amazon’s home devices as well as Amazon’s new wearable line of earbuds, eyeglasses, and a ring. More celebrity voices are expected to be added in the near future. Users will have the option to utilize one of two different versions of Jackson’s voice: an explicit edition and a non-explicit one.

Amazon made the announcement on its blog about the newly added premium feature featuring the actor. “Actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson is the first celebrity voice we’ve created for Alexa using neural text-to-speech (NTTS) technology. Simply ask Sam to tell you jokes, information about the weather, set timers and alarms, play music and more—all with a bit of his own personality. You’ll be able to interact with Samuel L. Jackson, in explicit and non-explicit versions, later this year for $0.99.”

As reported on Amazon’s corporate site, the company also revealed it will soon start selling wireless earbuds, finger rings and prescription eyeglasses with its Alexa voice assistant built-in.

“Customers want their smart home technology to make everyday tasks easier, but not at the expense of spending their whole weekend, or hiring an expert, just to get everything set up,” said Daniel Rausch, Amazon Vice President, Smart Home. “We think customers will be delighted with what we have coming this fallmore ways to find smart home devices they can set up in minutes, new Alexa features that take the stress out of being away from home, and new products that help families enjoy great meals together or just have a little fun.”



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Samuel L. Jackson Signs On as First Celebrity Voice Of Amazon’s Alexa

Can’t get enough of Samuel L. Jackson? Well, now you will be able to hear his voice in your home or car on-demand via the Amazon Alexa.

Jackson, who is known for his signature profanity-laced phrases, is the first celebrity voice slated to be used in Alexa-themed devices. Amazon’s celebrity voice feature will cost an additional 99 cents and will be featured on Amazon’s home devices as well as Amazon’s new wearable line of earbuds, eyeglasses, and a ring. More celebrity voices are expected to be added in the near future. Users will have the option to utilize one of two different versions of Jackson’s voice: an explicit edition and a non-explicit one.

Amazon made the announcement on its blog about the newly added premium feature featuring the actor. “Actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson is the first celebrity voice we’ve created for Alexa using neural text-to-speech (NTTS) technology. Simply ask Sam to tell you jokes, information about the weather, set timers and alarms, play music and more—all with a bit of his own personality. You’ll be able to interact with Samuel L. Jackson, in explicit and non-explicit versions, later this year for $0.99.”

As reported on Amazon’s corporate site, the company also revealed it will soon start selling wireless earbuds, finger rings and prescription eyeglasses with its Alexa voice assistant built-in.

“Customers want their smart home technology to make everyday tasks easier, but not at the expense of spending their whole weekend, or hiring an expert, just to get everything set up,” said Daniel Rausch, Amazon Vice President, Smart Home. “We think customers will be delighted with what we have coming this fallmore ways to find smart home devices they can set up in minutes, new Alexa features that take the stress out of being away from home, and new products that help families enjoy great meals together or just have a little fun.”



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Mississippi Police Shot a Bullet Into the Back of His Head. A City Attorney Is Arguing It Doesn’t Matter Since He’s Not a Citizen

Mississippi police should have never been at Ismael Lopez’s door. But in executing a warrant for a man wanted for domestic assault in July 2017, police went to the wrong address, arriving at Lopez’s home instead of the suspect’s.

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Save on Vince Camuto Clothing and Shoes at Nordstrom Rack

Vince Camuto Men’s and Women’s Clothing and Shoes Flash Sales | Nordstrom Rack

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Press-Proof? Cardi B Goes Incognito—but Conspicuous as Ever—During Paris Fashion Week

“Cardi don’t need more press,” Cardi B rapped in her last solo single, aptly named “Press.” But where Cardi goes, the press inevitably follows; so for an impromptu on-the-street appearance in Paris this past weekend, the fashion-loving rapper once again gave them something to talk about.

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Cory Booker says he hit his $1.7M campaign fundraising goal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker says he’s hit the $1.7 million fundraising goal he set for his campaign a week ago, ensuring he has enough money to continue his White House bid.

Booker says on his website he’s “proud of this grassroots team — thank you.”

The New Jersey senator had said if he failed to raise the money by Monday he’d end his 2020 bid. The plea prompted support from politicians including former rival New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (KEER’-sten JIHL’-uh-brand) and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who hopped on an all-staff phone call Sunday to encourage Booker’s team.
Booker’s campaign manager said the money would go toward ballot access and hiring staff, among other things.

Booker raised $4.5 million during the second quarter but spent nearly $1 million more than that.

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Twitter’s grammar snobs swoop in on Antonio Brown after he seeks help

Antonio Brown hopped on the internet to ask for help in his new college class, but it didn’t go over so well for the embattled former Patriots wide receiver.

Brown who is facing accusations that he raped his former trainer Brittany Taylor and sexually exposed himself to another unnamed woman, is sitting on the sidelines after the New England Patriots released him amid the explosive claims.

READ MORE: Antonio Brown blasts Patriots, says he’s done with the NFL in Twitter rant

Brown, whose 2019 NFL year crashed within the first month of the season, slammed the NFL and decided to turn  back to education and apparently signed back up for some college classes and shared it on social media last week.

But after seeing the errors in his tweet, the Twitterverse shut the athlete down and concluded he needs help is more ways than one, Brobible reports.

Well the epic hit backs from fans was a lesson he looks like he needed.

Brown reenrolled at Central Michigan University, which he left in 2010 to enter the NFL draft after three seasons. He signed up to take Introduction to Management, Technical Writing, Death and Dying, and a Racism and Equality course, The Daily Mail reports.

“Back to school @cmuathletics,” Brown wrote on Instagram.

READ MORE: Antonio Brown signs up for college after being cut from Patriots

Brown’s legal issues

Brown was released by the New England Patriots last week after a second woman came forward and accused him of sexual harassment, following an explosive sexual assault claim by his former trainer Brittany Taylor who filed a civil suit.

After being released, Brown blasted the Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointing out Kraft’s own legal troubles involving alleged sexual solicitation at a Florida massage parlor.

He is also battling both the Raiders and the Patriots for payment of the “guaranteed” millions they reportedly owe him.

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Donald Trump Warns There Will Be a Civil War If He Is Impeached

Donald Trump is shook.

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The Original Cookout Invite? Pee-wee Herman Was an Honorary Member of the Black Pack

Pee-wee Herman (born Paul Reubens) had a big adventure in 1985, but the blackest adventure happened in 1988.

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Oprah Winfrey gifts HBCUs with $1.15 million at United Negro College Fund event

Oprah Winfrey surprised attendees at a Charlotte fundraiser by announcing that she would match the $1.15 million it had already raised.

During the 17th annual Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon, when the billionaire media executive got up to speak, she asked how much money the fundraiser had brought in.

READ MORE: Oprah Winfrey launching wellness arena tour in early 2020

“We do want to make this the world record-breaking event,” Winfrey told the crowd of 1,120 people. “I believe in the power of education, there is nothing better than to open the door for someone.”

The annual event was held to raise funds for deserving college students at HBCUs to bolster their success rates, The Charlotte Observer reports.

The United Negro College event’s fundraising goal was to raise $1.15 when Winfrey blessed them with a matching gift totaling 2.3 million.

“Oprah Winfrey inspires us to live a purposeful life,” said Tiffany Jones, area development director for the UNCF.


Winfrey was close friends with Angelou, who diedin 2014. She shared with the audience the importance of leaving an indelible legacy.

“‘You have no idea what your legacy is going to be, because your legacy will be every life you touch,’” Winfrey said Angelou told her. “Your legacy is how you treat everybody.”

READ MORE: Oprah says Ta-Nehisi Coates new book moved her like ‘Beloved’ did

“Listen to the whisperer,” she continues. “Your job is to figure out the pattern of your life, the flow.”

But she joked, “Some need bricks.”

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GOP split over impeachment pushback as Democrats plow ahead

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The president’s lawyer insists the real story is a debunked conspiracy theory. A senior White House adviser blames the “deep state.” And a Republican congressman is pointing at Joe Biden’s son.

As the Democrats drive an impeachment inquiry toward a potential vote by the end of the year, President Donald Trump’s allies are struggling over how he should manage the starkest threat to his presidency. The jockeying broke into the open Sunday on the talk show circuit, with a parade of Republicans erupting into a surge of second-guessing.

At the top of the list: Rudy Giuliani’s false charge that it was Ukraine that meddled in the 2016 elections. The former New York mayor has been encouraging Ukraine to investigate both Biden and Hillary Clinton.

“I am deeply frustrated with what he and the legal team is doing and repeating that debunked theory to the president. It sticks in his mind when he hears it over and over again,” said Tom Bossert, Trump’s former homeland security adviser. “That conspiracy theory has got to go, they have to stop with that, it cannot continue to be repeated.”
Not only did Giuliani repeat it Sunday, he brandished pieces of paper he said were affidavits supporting his story.

“Tom Bossert doesn’t know what’s he’s talking about,” Guiliani said. He added that Trump was framed by the Democrats.

Senior White House policy adviser Stephen Miller, meanwhile, noted that he’s worked in the federal government “for nearly three years.”

“I know the difference between whistleblower and a deep state operative,” Miller said. “This is a deep state operative, pure and simple.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, heatedly said Trump was merely asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to root out corruption. That, Jordan said, includes Hunter Biden’s membership on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time his father was leading the Obama administration’s diplomatic dealings with Kyiv. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either of the Bidens.

Mixed messaging reflects the difficulty Republicans are having defending the president against documents released by the White House that feature Trump’s own words and actions. A partial transcript and a whistleblower complaint form the heart of the House impeachment inquiry and describe Trump pressuring a foreign president to investigate Biden’s family.

In a series of tweets Sunday night, Trump said he deserved to meet “my accuser” as well as whoever provided the whistleblower with what the president called “largely incorrect” information. He also accused Democrats of “doing great harm to our Country” in an effort to destabilize the nation and the 2020 election.

Trump has insisted the call was “perfect” and pushed to release both documents.
“He didn’t even know that it was wrong,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, describing a phone call from Trump in which the president suggested the documents would exonerate him.

But Democrats seized on them as evidence that Trump committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” by asking for a foreign leader’s help undermining a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden. Pelosi launched an impeachment inquiry and on Sunday told other Democrats that public sentiment had swung behind the probe.

By all accounts, the Democratic impeachment effort was speeding ahead with a fair amount of coordination between Pelosi, Democratic messaging experts and its political operation.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday that he expects the whistleblower to testify “very soon,” though details were still being worked out and no date had been set. Hearings and depositions were starting this week. Many Democrats are pushing for a vote on articles of impeachment before the end of the year, mindful of the looming 2020 elections.

Schiff said in one interview that his committee intends to subpoena Giuliani for documents and may eventually want to hear from Giuliani directly. In a separate TV appearance, Giuliani said he would not cooperate with Schiff, but then acknowledged he would do what Trump tells him. The White House did not provide an official response on whether the president would allow Giuliani to cooperate.

Lawyers for the whistleblower expressed concern about that individual’s safety, noting that some have offered a $50,000 “bounty” for the whistleblower’s identity. They said they expect the situation to become even more dangerous for their client and any other whistleblowers, as Congress seeks to investigate this matter.

On a conference call Sunday, Pelosi, traveling in Texas, urged Democrats to proceed “not with negative attitudes towards him, but a positive attitude towards our responsibility,” according to an aide on the call who shared the exchange on condition of anonymity. Polling, Pelosi said, had changed “drastically” in the Democrats’ favor.

A one-day NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted Sept. 25 found that about half of Americans — 49% — approve of the House formally starting an impeachment inquiry into Trump.

There remains a stark partisan divide on the issue, with 88% of Democrats approving and 93% of Republicans disapproving of the inquiry. But the findings suggest some movement in opinions on the issue. Earlier polls conducted throughout Trump’s presidency have consistently found a majority saying he should not be impeached and removed from office.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York urged the caucus to talk about impeachment by repeating the words “betrayal, abuse of power, national security.” The Democrats’ campaign arm swung behind lawmakers to support the impeachment drive as they run for reelection, according to another call participant to spoke on condition of anonymity.

The contrast with the Republicans’ selection of responses was striking.

A combative House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said that nothing in Trump’s phone call rose to the level of an impeachable offense.

“Why would we move forward on impeachment?” the California Republican said. “There’s not something that you have to defend here.”

Bossert, an alumnus of Republican George W. Bush’s administration, offered a theory and some advice to Trump: Move past the fury over the 2016 Russia investigation, in which special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of conspiracy but plenty of examples of Trump’s obstruction.

“I honestly believe this president has not gotten his pound of flesh yet from past grievances on the 2016 investigation,” Bossert said. “If he continues to focus on that white whale, it’s going to bring him down.”

Two advisers to the Biden campaign sent a letter Sunday urging major news networks to stop booking Giuliani on their shows, accusing Trump’s personal attorney of spreading “false, debunked conspiracy theories” on behalf of the president. The letter to management and anchors of shows at ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News added: “By giving him your air time, you are allowing him to introduce increasingly unhinged, unfounded and desperate lies into the national conversation.”
___
Giuliani appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and CBS’ “Face the Nation,” while Schiff was interviewed on ABC and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Bossert spoke on ABC and Miller on “Fox News Sunday.” Jordan appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Pelosi and McCarthy appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
___
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington; writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta; and AP Polling Director Emily Swanson contributed to this report.
___
Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman

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Tekashi 6ix9ine is optimistic people will forget his ‘snitching’ ways, report says

Troubled rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been singing like a canary during his federal racketeering trial and reportedly believes things will be popping post-prison and that his haters will soon forget that he ever blew the whistle on the inner workings of the gang he was once affiliated with.

According to TMZ Tekashi, whose given name is Daniel Hernandez, thinks all will be well once he leaves prison. The rapper cut a plea deal with the feds that required him to give up names of top drug lords and testify against the Nine Trey Bloods gang in exchange for an early release.

Unnamed sources tell the website that he feels anyone angry at him over his testimony is jealous of him and are threatened by him. He also reportedly believes when he’s released his popularity will flourish. Tekashi’s attorney, Dawn Florio, did not comment on the report.

READ MORE: Cardi B denies being a member of Nine Trey Gangster Bloods as claimed by Tekashi 6ix9ine

Tekashi is reportedly turning down witness protection and wants to continue his rap career despite the obvious danger he and his family are in due to a broad perception that he has become a “snitch.”

But Tekashi seems to think people will turn the other cheek and forgive and forget once he’s back on the block doing his music again.

But Tekashi will have to face a skeptical hip hop culture given the sideeye he’s been given by people like 21 Savage and 50 Cent. He reportedly plans to hire his own bodyguards to protect him around the clock so he can continue his rap career.

Tekashi’s deal with the feds earned him a reduced possible 47-year sentence for cooperating with prosecutors.

Celebrities and fans have heavily discussed Tekashi on social media naming many of his friends linked to his former gang, the Nine Trey Bloods while on trial.

The “Gummo” rapper is said to have implicated Trippie ReddCardi BJim Jones, and Casanova in his testimony in court.

READ MORE: Tekashi 6ix9ine brings “retired rapper” Jim Jones name into his courtroom bombshell

Music executive J. Prince, says Tekashi was rat material from the start. Moreover, the CEO of Houston-based label Rap-A-Lot Records maintains that the Brooklyn rapper is surely going to get what’s coming to him, according to TMZ.

He describes Tekashi as a “clown,” claims that the rapper’s most recent testimony about last year’s robbery was a “complete lie.”

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Male high school senior at Memphis school crowned ‘Homecoming Royalty’

For Brandon Allen, being crowned homecoming queen was a dream come true for the Memphis Tennessee high school senior, despite being male.

“I decided to wear a dress because I strongly believe in the fact that I’m a queen,”the LGBTQ teen.

On Friday, his wish came true when his peers elected him to a gender neutral new title: Homecoming Royalty of White Station High School.

READ MORE: Victories by transgender high school girl runners spark controversy over competition

“When I won I felt so relieved and so happy because I had been fighting for something that I wanted for the longest amount of time and then I finally got it,” Allen, 17, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Allen’s homecoming court picture with him donning a sparkly gold dress made its rounds on social media to  a mix of reactions from those who embraced him and others who were critical.

The school shared the WSHS senior’s image holding a bouquet of flowers on Facebook. They also shared the image on Twitter. The school’s principal Carrye Holland said she was proud students exercised their right to choose who they wanted.

“It’s the students’ choice of who they want to support as homecoming royalty,” said Holland. “I’m exceedingly proud to be the principal of our amazing school. WSHS loves and supports everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe.”

The superintendent shared Holland’s sentiments.

“The District is committed to ensuring a positive and respectful school environment where everyone is treated with dignity,” said Joris M. Ray, superintendent of Shelby County Schools in Memphis. “Homecoming queen and king is a tradition based 100 percent on student votes. As Superintendent, I support student voice and expression.”

READ MORE: An irate Malik Yoba reportedly leaves interview after questions on transgender sex workers

Allen was thankful to his school community of peers and staff for helping him make a dream come true after two unsuccessful attempts at homecoming court during his sophomore and junior years.

“Majority of the school population was supporting me,” he said. “It’s because I’m such a social bird.”

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Amber Guyger murder trial continued on Saturday, Botham Jean’s 27th birthday

Over the weekend, testimony in the murder trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger continued. Guyger is on trial for fatally shooting Botham Jean twice in the chest after entering is apartment by mistake last September. Jean would have celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday if he had lived to see it.

On the same day, Judge Tammy Kemp called for the case to proceed, but determined that the jury did not need to be present for the testimony of the first witness.

Expert testimony began with retired Dallas ISD Police Chief, Craig Miller, who said that Guyger may have suffered from something called, “Inattentional blindness,” when she first came to Jean’s doorway. Miller explained that this is when any person temporarily filters out visual images that are noticeable because he or she is focused on one some other primary object or target, but he could not say definitely that Guyger suffered from this phenomenon.

READ MORE: As Amber Guyger, the former cop who killed Botham Jean, stands trial, his sister seeks justice

Miller testified that in his 37-years of being on the police force, the first shot is usually the most accurate when officer’s shoot their weapon. He also said that it would be logical for Jean to have “ducked” when Guyger entered his apartment with her gun drawn. Based upon the facts, Miller believes that Guyger’s use of force in this scenario was reasonable.

Judge Kemp took it upon herself to ask a number of questions to better understand the state of “Inattentional blindness,” and upon the conclusion of Miller’s testimony, decided that it would be fair to allow the jury to hear his expertise on that subject alone. She, however, would not allow his testimony on whether or not Guyger’s actions were “reasonable,” the use of deadly force was reasonable or on the logical assumptions of how Jean reacted and moved that night.

“If that’s the conclusion that a jury wishes to reach, I don’t believe they need experts to tell them that,” said Kemp.

READ MORE: Dallas Judge decided Amber Guyger’s murder trial will remain in Dallas following jury selection

After taking a break, the jury returned and the court briefly brought lead investigator, Texas Ranger David Armstrong back on the stand to talk about the stress Guyger encountered during the shooting. It was determined that Armstrong, who has previously said that he believes Guyger did not commit a crime, can only testify to his abilities as an expert, and not regarding what Guyger may or may not have been thinking at the time of the shooting, which would be speculation.

This all followed an extremely emotional day of testimony from Guyger herself who took the stand on Friday to testify that she was genuinely afraid for her life when she shot Jean after entering the wrong apartment.

After the 31-year old broke down in tears twice on the stand, she claimed that she shot Jean in self-defense claiming that he came towards her as she shouted at him to show his hands.

“I hate that I have to live with this every single day of my life and I ask God for forgiveness, and I hate myself every single day,” Guyger told the jury.

If the jury believes that Guyger acted in self-defense and her actions were reasonable, she will be acquitted of all charges.

The trial resumes on Monday at 9:30 a.m.(CT), but there is speculation that the defense will rest its case followed by closing arguments.


Wendy L. Wilson is the managing editor of theGrio. Follow her rants, raves, and reviews on Twitter @WendyLWilson_

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Viral in Floral: Cardi B serves major star power for Paris Fashion Week!

Rapper Cardi B was recently spotted in a head to toe floral look for Paris Fashion Week this Saturday (September 28).

Never one to shy away from taking a fashion risk, the 26-year-old rapper showed off her head-to-toe blue and green Richard Quinn ensemble. While posted in front of the famous Eiffel Tower, a face-covered Cardi greeted fans all the way from France, via Instagram:

“What’s popping, baby?! I heard you bi**hes were missing me at Fashion Week New York. I’m here to serve it to you motherf—ers, and serve it to you cold,” the mommy of one says, before she is seen strutting through the streets, and turning the sidewalk into her personal catwalk.

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PARIS FASHION WEEK, IM HERE ! Designer: @richardquinn .

A post shared by Iamcardib (@iamcardib) on

 

READ MORE: Melanin In Milan: Prada’s Social Media Manager, Candace Marie, on inclusivity in fashion

Captioned, “Paris Fashion Week, I’m Here!” the video also shows Cardi being hounded by photographers, while she asks the crowd to watch her steps.

“Make sure a car don’t hit me, cause a b**h can’t see,” Cardi hilariously adds.

The Richard Quinn design is comprised of multiple, matching layers, including an overcoat and belt, a pleated skirt, boots, glove, a head wrap, and most daringly, an all over face mask.

READ MORE: Cardi B opens up about sexual harassment she experienced during photoshoot

The ensemble first made its runway debut back in February, during London Fashion Week.

Cardi appeared to love the look so much, she also took to her Twitter to show the piece from a few more different angles.

“How they going to understand it when they don’t even understand me #PARISFASHIONWEEK” the rapper captioned the pic.

 

This is not Cardi’s first time taking a huge fashion risk. Her all-over ruby red Met Gala look for this year’s “Camp” theme, was said to have composed of 30,000 feathers and took 2,000 hours to make at the hands of 35 people. The look even consisted of 44 carats worth of rubies valued at $250,000, which acted as nipple covers, alone, Glamour reported.

If this is day one, we can’t wait to see what other daring looks the rapper will serve this week!

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FL Commissioner calls out cop for wrongful arrest and gets berated by city officials, but praised by Ava Duvernay and others

Recently Elberg Mike Gelin, a commissioner for the city of Tamarac, FL, called out sheriff deputy Joshua Gallardo for wrongfully arresting him four years prior, at an event being held in honor of Gallardo by the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO).

The public confrontation took place on Wednesday (September 25), when Officer Gallardo went in front of Commissioner Gelin and other city officials to accept an award for “Deputy of the Month.” Shortly after receiving his award, Gelin called Gallardo back to the front of the room, in what most assumed would be an extended congratulatory remark.

Instead, Gelin proceeded to call the officer out.

“Joshua Gallardo, will you come down for a second? It’s good to see you again. You probably don’t remember me but you’re the police officer who falsely arrested me four years ago,” Gelin started.

READ MORE: Prosecution rests in Amber Guyger murder trial while defense team now prepares to get the former Dallas officer off

The commissioner continued, “You lied on the police report. I believe you’re a rogue police officer. You’re a bad police officer, and you don’t deserve to be here.” Gallardo then gave the commissioner a thumbs-up, before going back to his seat.

 

The past incident in question took place four years prior, when Gallardo arrested Gelin, who was attempting to record a “victim of battery,” outside of a Salvation Army.

Gelin, who at the time was not an elected official, claimed that at least 15 other onlookers were on the scene, and that Gallardo singled him out because he was recording. Gallardo’s arrest report alleged that Gelin was directly behind him, did not comply to move back from the scene. Gallardo arrested Gelin for “resisting without violence.”

“I advised the black male to move back, that this is a crime scene,” Gallardo wrote in his report, according to the document obtained by Buzzfeed News. “He advised he was recording the incident and that he did not have to move.”

Gelin, however, denied ever being directly behind Gallardo, and the state attorney later didn’t pursue charges against Gelin.

READ MORE: Police officer placed on leave after calling students ‘N-word’ and ‘monkeys’

Gelin spoke on his decision to speak up on the incident four years later.

“It was a traumatizing experience that was played out many times in my head. I had a flashback and so I spoke up,” he told Buzzfeed News.

The mayor of Tamarac, Michelle Gomez, referred to the incident as embarrassing, and that she initially believed the commissioner “had something nice to say,” to the officer.

“It was supposed to be an all-smiles day,” Mayor Gomez told the Sun-Sentinal. “I was embarrassed… We were all shocked. Nobody expected this. It was a nice event to honor our BSO, our deputies.”

READ MORE: NAACP blasts Comcast and DOJ for attacking civil rights protections for Black people

BSO released a statement on their official Facebook page, calling the incident an “insult,” and further berated Gelin on his decision to confront Gallardo at the event.

Meanwhile, Gelin has received a ton of support from those not in attendance. Activist Shaun King not only shared the video on his own page, famed director Ava Duvernay also tweeted a show of support to Gelin, saying “Stay strong.”

Fellow citizens and supporters also took to Twitter to tweet their support of Gelin:

 

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Black Faith

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Pride & Prejudice: Exploring Black LGBTQ+ Histories and Cultures

  In the rich tapestry of history, the threads of Black LGBTQ+ narratives have often been overlooked. This journey into their stories is an ...